Wellford couple charged with child neglect

Published: Friday, May 10, 2013 at 10:54 p.m.

Last Modified: Friday, May 10, 2013 at 10:54 p.m.

A Wellford couple was arrested after an officer reported finding the condition of their home "horrendous" and a child with a severe infection.

Donald Paul Bluhm, 28, and Joy Michelle Bluhm, 27, both of 1535 Main St., are each charged with one count of child neglect.

A Wellford Police officer responded about 7 p.m. Thursday to the home at the request of a caseworker with the state Department of Social Services. The caseworker was sent there to investigate an injury to their youngest child. The Bluhms also have a 3 and 6-year-old, according to an incident report.

The youngest child, 22 months old, had an infection from a burn to his left foot that was not properly treated, according to an incident report. The child was taken to the emergency room due to the severity of the injury.

The child was injured April 19 and was treated at a hospital and his parents were told to take the child to a burn center in Georgia, the report states. The Bluhms did not keep the appointment and said they could not find a local pediatrician who would accept government insurance and care for the child, according to the incident report. They cared for the child at home, which the officer reported was crawling with roaches, cluttered and where the smell of urine and feces from pets was "so overwhelming it was nauseating."

The parents and children slept upstairs where the officer found two filthy mattresses on the floor with no sheets amid clutter.

The Bluhms were booked into the Spartanburg County Detention Center early Friday morning and were released later that day. Each is under a $10,000 personal recognizance bond.

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